Methods and apparatus for control protocol validation of a switch fabric system

• US 9,531,622 B1
• Filed: 05/21/2015
• Issued: 12/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Juniper Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Juniper Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: Loganathan, Jaihari V., Jagannadhan, Srinivasan
• Primary Examiner(s): Zaidi, Iqbal
• Application Number:
  US14/718,913
• Time in Patent Office: 586 Days
• Field of Search: 370230-234, 370346-350, 370419-428, 370360-368, 370/463, 370537-544
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4641 Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/586 of virtual routers

Abstract

In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a first network control entity within a control plane of a switch fabric system. The first network control entity is configured to receive a first test signal including a test instruction to be implemented within the switch fabric system. The first network control entity is configured to send a second test signal including the test instruction to a second network control entity such that the second network control entity implements the test instruction for a predetermined amount of time.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory configured to store a first network control entity to be included within a control plane of a switch fabric system and not within a data plane of the switch fabric system; and

a processing device implementing the first network control entity, the first network control entity configured to receive a first test signal including a test instruction to be implemented within the switch fabric system,

the first network control entity configured to send a second test signal including instructions to implement the test instruction to a second network control entity,

the first network control entity configured to withdraw implementation of the test instruction at the second network control entity a predetermined amount of time after a condition has been met,

the first network control entity configured to determine, based on a designated network control entity indicator in the test instruction, not to send the test instruction to a third network control entity within the control plane of the switch fabric system.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second test signal instructs the second network control entity to update, based on the test instruction, a routing table at the second network control entity from a first configuration to a second configuration for the predetermined amount of time.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data plane of the switch fabric system has a topology different than a topology of the control plane of the switch fabric system.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the test instruction includes at least one of an instruction associated with a virtual local area network (VLAN), an instruction associated with multicast distribution of a data packet within the data plane, or an instruction associated with route information of the data plane.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first network control entity is configured to receive, from the second network control entity, an acknowledgement signal indicating that the second network control entity successfully implemented the test instruction.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the condition is a first condition, and

the second test signal is sent to the second network control entity in response to the second network control entity satisfying a second condition associated with the test instruction.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the second network control entity is configured to withdraw the test instruction at the second network control entity after successfully implementing the test instruction at the second network control entity.

8. A non-transitory processor-readable medium storing code representing instructions to cause at least one of a processor or a memory to:

receive, at a first network control entity within a control plane of a switch fabric system, a first test signal including a test instruction to be implemented within the switch fabric system;

implement the test instruction at the first network control entity in response to receiving the first test signal;

withdraw the implementation of the test instruction at the first network control entity a predetermined amount of time after a condition has been met;

send, based on a designated network control entity indicator of the test instruction, a second test signal including the test instruction to a second network control entity within the control plane of the switch fabric system without sending the test instruction to a third network control entity within the control plane of the switch fabric system;

receive a first acknowledgement signal from the second network control entity indicating that the second network control entity successfully implemented the test instruction; and

send a second acknowledgement signal to a network management module indicating that the test instruction was successfully implemented at the second network control entity.

9. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 8, further comprising code representing instructions to cause the processor to:

send a third acknowledgement signal to the network management module indicating that the test instruction was successfully implemented at the first network control entity.

10. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 8, further comprising code representing instructions to cause the processor to:

send a third test signal including the test instruction to a fourth network control entity within the control plane of the switch fabric system; and

receive a third acknowledgement signal from the fourth network control entity indicating that the fourth network control entity was unsuccessful in implementing the test instruction.

11. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the test instruction at the first network control entity is withdrawn after successfully implementing the test instruction at the first network control entity.

12. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the test instruction includes at least one of an instruction associated with a virtual local area network (VLAN), an instruction associated with multicast distribution of a data packet, or an instruction associated with route information.

13. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 8, wherein a data plane of the switch fabric system has a topology different than a topology of the control plane of the switch fabric system.

14. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 8, wherein:

the condition is a first condition, and

the code representing instructions to cause the processor to send the second test signal is executed in response to the second network control entity satisfying a second condition associated with the test instruction.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory configured to store a first network control entity; and

a processing device implementing the first network control entity, the first network control entity configured to receive a test instruction from a second network control entity, the first network control entity and the second network control entity being associated with a virtual local area network in a switch fabric system,

the first network control entity configured to send an acknowledgement signal to the second network control entity indicating that the first network control entity successfully implemented the test instruction,

the first network control entity configured to determine, based on a designated network control entity indicator of the test instruction, not to send the test instruction to a third network control entity outside of the virtual local area network, and to forward the test instruction to a fourth network control entity associated with the virtual local area network, and

the first network control entity configured to withdraw implementation of test instruction at the first network control entity a predetermined amount of time after the first network control entity successfully implemented the test instruction.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first network control entity receives the test instruction when the first network control entity satisfies a condition associated with the test instruction.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein:

the first network control entity, the second network control entity, and the fourth network control entity are included in a plurality of network control entities associated with the virtual local area network, and

the first network control entity is configured to forward the test instruction to each remaining network control entity from the plurality of network control entities.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first network control entity is configured to send the test instruction to a plurality of network control entities configured to manage routing of data packets from a port at the first network control entity to at least one other port in the switch fabric system.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein:

the first network control entity is further configured to receive an acknowledgement signal from the fourth network control entity indicating that the fourth network control entity successfully implemented the test instruction; and

the first network control entity is further configured to forward the acknowledgement signal from the fourth network control entity to the second network control entity.